High-voltage circuit breaker



Oct. 7, 1952 J. D. WOOD ET AL 2,613,299

HIGH-VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Jan. 11, 1947 I321 P I 208 58 "257Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED [STATE HIGH-VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER JosephD. Wood, Upper Darby, and Arthur S. Caswell and Elmer Goessel,Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to I. T. E. Circuit Breaker Company,

Philadelphia, vania -Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl- Application January11, 1947, Serial No. 721,648

Our present invention relates to high voltage highcapacity circuitbreakers, and more particularly to circuit breakers having aninterrupting rating of 50,000 kva. and better in any voltage rangebetween 2300 and 5000 volts'and at current ratings of 600'and 1200amperes;

Essentially our invention is directed to the production' of highvoltagehigh capacity air break switchgear in such a manner as to providethe increased interrupting capacity required by means of the simplestelements which aremanuiactured and assembled by mass production methodsin the most economical way. g

Accordingly an object of our invention is the construction of a highcapacity high voltage circuit breaker, capable of interrupting arcs of50,000 kva. capacity or even better, and economical in design andconstruction, capable of unit sub-assembly manufacturing operation; andso reduced in cost that its price may compare favorably and at timeseven be lower than-that of many lower capacity lower voltage circuitbreakers on the market today.

The'foregoing and many other objects of our invention will becomeapparent from the following description 01 the drawings in which: I

Figure 1 is a side view in perspective, partly 4 Qlaims. (o1. 200-447)tion' herein shown.

which require no specific description; Also, the control switch contactsindicated generally at 10 of Figures 1 and 2 and the grounding contacts'ihlzof Figures 1 and 2 may be standard units.

.The essential elements as above pointed out with respect to these unitsis the unit assembly arrangement which is possible with theconstruc-'The rear end of the operating mechanism as 'sembly 46 is supported onthe cross bar- 14' which is held by the bolts l5, across the top of'thelower panel 12. Cross bar M also provides means for supportingadditional assemblies. The specific novel assemblies or sub-assembliesshown in Figures 1 and 2 and forming an essential part of the novelcircuit breaker here shown are the operating mechanisinshown in Figure1'.

The various assemblies above mentioned will be described in order, goingfrom the bottom toward the top of the circuit breaker without specificemphasis on any one of the assemblies over the other.

It must be. emphasized, however, that an im-- portant feature of thecircuit breaker'is' in the novel are chute construction in conjunctionwith the novel'blow out construction.

broken away showing our novel circuit breaker assembled and mounted on atruck.

Figure 2 is aside, back view, in perspective,

showing our novel circuit breaker mounted ona truck with the interphasebarrier in position.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, our novel circuit breaker is shownpreferably mounted on a movable truck. The movable truck comprises aback main supporting structure which includes the vertical supportmembers l0 and H connected together and interbraced at the lower end bythe Masonite panel ['2 and. at the central and'upper portion'by' thehorizontal c'rossbars [3; l4 and I5 which are connected asshown, in anyappropriate manner, as for instance by bolts and nuts to the verticalmembers It and H. The lower ends of the vertical members 'l0 and II areprovided with bearings l1 and W for the shaft l9 which carries the rearwheels and 2| of the truck. The vertical members I!) and H together withthe cross bracing elements above described and the wheel 20 and 2!constitute a single unitary member of assembly.

Certain of the assemblies are standard and require no specificdiscussion here. Thusgthe control panel assembly 41 and the tripunit as:semb1y'48 may be substantially s'tandardunits The operatingmechanism'utilizes as closely as possible the simple principle of thelever operated switch with only enough addition theretoto provideautomatic response to over-current con-1 ditions in order to trip thecircuit breaker and also to provide a solenoid closing means. Thesimplification of this operating mechanism makes possible the productionof;the inexpensive circuit breaker herein described; I

Thus, while the arc chute assembly and the blow-out assembly makepossible the high capacity operation and high speed operation which areessential to the operation of the circuit breaker as a whole, thesimplicity of the other assemblies makes possible the economical andefficient construction. l

The individual unit assemblies facilitate storage of parts preparatoryto final assembly and thus make it possible to fill orders quickly;

Thus the first sub-assembly which consists of the back panel and theback wheels 20 and 2| is essentially a simple fiat member which mayreadily behstored and does not take up any substantial amount of space.r

Heretofore, the difficulty encountered in premanufacture ofsub-assemblies in anticipation of future orders resided in the fact thatthe gear usually was as big as the circuit breaker itself, so that themanufacture and especially the storage of the main frame presented thesame problem as the storing of an entire circuit breaker. No realeconomy was effected by pre-manufactureof the main frame since. theentire circuit breaker. could be: stored just as readily.

By means of our novel device, the back panel and the rear wheels of thetruck which constitute a single fiat structure may-readily be storedawaiting specific ordersfor. assembly. of specific circuit breakers. I

The truck structure is completed bylmeans of a lower or bottom platform-2 3,-.-which carries-a front wheel 24 in the front swivel 25. Thebottom platform 23 is secured. at .the rear .end .to the lower end ofthe verticalmembers' 'lfl and H above the bearings I1 and I8 fortherearwheel. The bottom platform 23 in connection with the back panel form-theverticalsupporting members vi 0. and l l .andftheir interbracingstructure and taken together withthe rear wheels 20 and..'2l:..and thefront. swivel wheel 24 comprises the. .truck. or. mounting, for. .the..circuit breaker. ThusQth'e. bottom platform 23-. andlthe front swivelwheel 24 constitutes asingle sub-assembly which may readily be storedwithout requiring. any addi tional space. and whichmay readilybe.attached by two. screws to thefiower. .endflof. the verticalmemberslfland I.l.

.This type-of unitarysub-assembly construction which. may readilylbe.interconnected .with other elements. inorder to make .a complete :truck,.facilitates. modification and, of yariationof-s'ubassemblies order .to1 meet the specific orders.

Thus in the event various control.v elements must be multiplied to asubstantial extent in the final circuit breaker. thus requiring perhaps;a custom built lower platform 23, this. lower .pl'atform23 may be builttoithe uniquespecific'ations of the customer andimayfthen be combinedwith the standard back panel construction,.wliich...is kept in stock.However, the-entire .truckconstruction including thelfirst ,and .secondsub.-as-. semblies above described. are. built in fi1l1ahticipation ofall requirementsto which .theipar'tic'ular circuit breaker. may be. put,so. that particular custommade back or bottom portions .of a truckwillwbe required only, in. exceptional cases. The upper: terminalassembly 30,. and the .lower termi: m1. assembly 3|. for .eachcoflthlthree .pol'esiis formedfrom, a. single barfof copper of rectangularscross -l.section (appropriately I insulated by phenolic insulation. "Theterminal assembly 'elements 30, 3! are carried bythe vertical supportsit] .and l 1,. as. well as Ithe central vertical support 32 .which is.carried. between "the lower Masonite platefl2,..andltheuppereross bar[4,: as shown in Figure 2.

vEach of the vertical members I; II and 32 is recessedat 33; 33 treceive the terminal'members and accurately position the same. iTEa'chof. the terminal .membersris provided with afis'ide plate oriflange.'35.. hereinafter .more specifically'described in connectionivvi-thFigure 2.

..Each.o'f.the=verticalreinforcements 10, H :and 32 is a rectangularsteel member, so that while the recesses '33, 33...are cut. out in'thevertical reinforcement' they'.are incised onlyin" the: .por-' tion ofthe rectangular .steelmember 'whiohis normal totheback panel';56."Th lgs of "each ofthe .re'ctang'ular members (l0; Ii and 32. carry thebolts36, 36 which engage the flange"members 35 {orthe terminal element.f Thus it will be seen that two bolts or screws 36 are all that arenecessary to secure each of the terminal elements in place, these boltsbeing locked in secured position by the nut 31 as shown in Figure 2.

Each of the upper and lower terminal assembly members'30 and 3 i-alsoicarry the spring biased :disconnect. contactelements p38,? 38 alsohereinafter more specifically described in connection with Figures 1 and2, but shown also in Patent Number 2,029,028. The intermediate crossbar-"l3;which is secured to the vertical members Ill, ll-..and 32.by..the bolts 40, also carries at its outer-endTtheWh'eeIs' '42 on anappropriate shaft extension thereof, .the said wheels 42 cooperatingwithfljappropriatettracks in the compartment to guide the truck-into andout of the compartment prop rly- The rackingand'indicator assembly showngen- :erallyat 43 of Figures 1 and 2 also carries the front wheels 44,44 to ride on the guide tracks of thecompartment .in. which; the..circuit..breaker, is housed. V Y

The movable contactassemblyshown [generally at 59 of. Figure 1,.isconnectediat its lower endlto the. lower rterminal -..assembly 3 l I in.the manner hereinafter, described; and is provided with a. link 5 Iwhich is connected tov the H contact operating arms152 projectingupfrom. the operating mechanism. assembly 46. .The. movable.contactflbridge 3o assembly which of course haslas.manyapoiessas thereare .upper andrloweri. terminal assemblies. threev in theparticularinstance, shown, is provided with oontactelements. ,(TheQblow .outicoilassemb1yo53 which includes .thecoil 54 and the laminatedblowout-iron.legs;.55, is. mounted .on

the upper insulating back. panel 56 .alsotacross the bars J 5. and .,l 4andrthenpperhportionror vertical supporting members l'lland Il,..and.is. sup-.

ported thereby. f

It. is spacedfromthebars 10,1 |,.32,. Il,1l'5,;by the upper insulatingback panel. which .panel issecu-red across the barsflll, vl Landr32asshown in Figure 2. Appropriateopeningsiajfl a reipro vided in =.the-.panel 56 .topermit uthenterm'inal 45 members 30 and-3ltoprojectgtherethrou g-huin a mannershown in Figure 'l. a

The are -chute.ass embly 51. islsupportedbyithe blow, out; assembly 53..andrpar'ticularlyj bywthe laminated legs -55 of .theblowoutironwhichiride between .the bracing bars'J5'8, .58 oneachmsiderof thearc .chute as shown in Figure 1.

Since many variations and 1mod'ificationsofnour invention should now beobvious to those skilled inthe art, we prefer to-be=bound notbythespecific. disclosure herein contained, fbut onlyn by. the

appended ,claims.

rWe claim: I a 1 A unit assemblyfor. a movabletruckcmountingfora-circuit breakerincludingcmetallic structur-al elements comprising aback ..main:su-pporting structure, said supporting structure beingranopen structure comprising rvert-ical supporting bars. and a pluralityofhorizontal bars.conneoting said verticalibars for' bracing said-yerticali bars,

the;lower-ends of-saidrvertical bars-,rproviding bearings and. ashaftcarrying wheels mounted'in said bearings and a circuit .breaker;mechanism mounted thereon; including circuit. breaker elementscomprising back connectiomstuds,-; a; mov

able contact. arm,-operating mechanism. fonsaid movable. contactarmuandmarc .chutes,,.and-isaid circuit breaker elements being.separated :frdm said metallic structuralelementsrto. a maximum extentvby virtue... ofsaid verticaland, horizontal 7o barconstruction;wherebyarcing to gr'eundwhen said circuit breaker elements are actuatedis minimized. p

2. A unit assembly for a movable truck mounting for a circuit breakerincluding metallic structural elements comprising a back main supportingstructure, said supporting structure being an open structure comprisingvertical supporting bars and a plurality of horizontal barsinterconnecting said vertical bars for bracing said vertical bars, thelower ends of said vertical bars providing bearings and a shaft carryingwheels mounted in said bearings, an insulation panel mounted across thelower ends of said vertical bars and a circuit breaker mechanism mountedthereon, including circuit breaker elements comprising back connectionstuds, a movable contact arm, operating mechanism for said movablecontact arm and arc chutes, and said circuit breaker elements beingseparated from said metallic structural elements to a maximum extent byvirtue of said vertical and horizontal bar construction, whereby arcingto ground when said circuit breaker elements are actuated is minimized.

3. A unit assembly for a movable truck mounting for a circuit breakerincluding metallic structural elements comprising a back main supportingstructure, said supporting structure being an open structure comprisingvertical supporting bars and a plurality of horizontal barsinterconnecting said vertical bars for bracing said vertical bars, thelower ends of said vertical bars providing bearings and a shaft carryingwheels mounted in said bearings, an insulation panel mounted across thelower ends of said vertical bars, a horizontal platform secured at itsrear end to said vertical bars and carrying a swivel front wheel, and acircuit breaker mechanism mounted thereon, including circuit breakerelements comprising back connection studs, a movable contact arm,operating mechanism for said movable contact arm and are chutes, andsaid circuit breaker elements being separated from said metallicstructural elements to a maximum extent by virtue of said vertical andhorizontal bar construction, whereby arcing to ground when said circuitbreaker elements are actuated is minimized.

4. A sub-assembly for circuit breakers including metallic structuralelements comprising a plurality of vertical bars, horizontalcross-bracing means for said bars, terminal bars, said vertical barshaving openings for supporting and positioning said terminal bars,circuit breaker elements including a blow-out assembly connected to andsupported by said vertical bars and bracing means, and an insulatingpanel for positioning said blow-out assembly in spaced relation withsaid bars and bracing means, said assembly in-- cluding laminated legsof magnetizable material and an arc chute secured to said laminatedlegs, said circuit breaker elements being separated from said metallicstructural elements to a maximum extent by virtue of said vertical andhorizontal bar construction, whereby arcing to ground when said circuitbreaker elements are actuated is minimized.

JOSEPH D. WOOD. ARTHUR S. CASWELL. ELMER GOESSEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

